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Looking to shed a few pounds? Try eating chocolate more often. Yup, you read that right. A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who frequently eat chocolate tend to have lower body mass indexes. They are roughly five to seven pounds lighter than people who keep away from cocoa.

The Joffrey Ballet School in New York is giving away an unprecendented number of scholarships this year. And one of the ways they're scouting talented recruits is through DanceMedia. Submit a 1 to 3 minute video of yourself in performance or in the studio to enter to win a full-tuition scholarship at one of the school's summer programs. A panel of DanceMedia editors will choose 10 promising students from the March contestants.

At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Pennsylvania Ballet was hit hard. A number of company members suffered or died from the virus. Compelled to do something, their colleagues rallied. They produced a special performance called Shut Up & Dance to benefit MANNA, a local organization that delivers nourishing meals and counsel to those infected.

On March 30, thousands of people around the world will stop what they're doing and dance. It will be noon in San Fancisco, 3 pm in New York, 4 pm in Buenos Aires, 9 pm in Cairo, 10 pm in Minsk—and everyone from cab drivers to businessmen to dogwalkers will simultaneously get their groove on. The event, called "dance anywhere" was started by San Francisco–based choreographer Beth Fein eight years ago. In addition to off-the-cuff improvs by people on the street, several dancers also take part with choreographed public performances—so keep your eyes open.

Most of the ballet world would agree that there’s a glut of fresh choreographic talent. That’s not to say there are no interesting artists making work; there’s just not enough of them. (Wheeldon and Ratmansky can only be stretched so thin.)

It sometimes seems like modern dancers have it easy. There are dozens of great college dance programs that can lead to successful contemporary careers. But for aspiring bunheads, the options are narrower, and the competition is tough. Indiana University at Bloomington's ballet department only takes about 10-20 dancers each year.

If you’ve ever been curious about ballet competitions, you need to check out First Position. The new documentary follows a handful of super-talented ballet students as they train for and compete in Youth America Grand Prix. All of them make it to the finals in New York, and (spoiler alert) most place in the top 12.